The Minister of Transport Martin Kupka visited BUT

on Friday 13 December Brno University of Technology (BUT) welcomed the Minister of Transport of the Czech Republic Martin Kupka. The meeting took place at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering BUT and offered a diverse programme focused on the transport industry. The programme included a presentation of student teams, a university presentation, and a debate on current issues related to the transportation sector.

The visit of the Minister began with a presentation of projects from seven student creative teams, whose results, among other things, fall under the Ministry of Transport’s remit. The university team YSpace presented their work on a small satellite that is to be launched as the first Czech student satellite into orbit, with a scientific programme focused on the research of cell behavior in space. The strojLAB team presented the Minister with a prototype of the ARGO water drone and their plans to test its functionality by exploring the unexplored bottom of the flooded Hranice Abyss. The latest electric race car formula and the excellent results achieved in international competitions were showcased by the largest student team of our university, TU Brno Racing, which brings together students from almost all faculties. 

The presentation for the Minister also included an exhibition of drones being developed by the Drone Research Centre team, where they demonstrated, for example, a solution for autonomous drone landing. Another excellent result, a car and vehicles powered by compressed air, which the Minister had the opportunity not only to observe but also to try out, is the work of students from the Pneumobil Racing Team. The exhibition also featured an aircraft developed by the student team Chicken Wings, which has been successful at several international competitions with their solutions. In addition to the latest model of an aircraft being prepared for the upcoming competition, the students also demonstrated earlier models of competition airplanes. The presentation of the student teams was concluded by the Brno Mars Rover team, which presented a model of an autonomous rover designed for movement on the surface of planets and which our students are preparing for participation in an international competition planned for 2025.

“The presented results of the student teams' work are a testament to the high professional level and commitment, for which our students deserve our admiration. Supporting creative activities is one of our university's priorities. In these activities, students not only have the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during their studies but also to develop abilities such as complex problem-solving, project management, teamwork, and a systemic approach, while also understanding the responsibility for the outcome. These are precisely the skills that our industrial partners and their future employers value. I am truly proud of our students and admire the creativity and incredible professionalism of the results that arise from the spontaneous initiative and enthusiasm of our students,” commented the university's rector Ladislav Janíček on the presentations to the Minister.

“I must commend the high technical level of all the presented projects. Sometimes I hear that as a country we are lagging behind. But the students' work proves the exact opposite. They are innovative with high added value. If anyone says that as a country we lack the ability to develop technologies for space exploration and other space missions, the students here show that not only do they have the desire to do so, but they are capable of it,” evaluated the work and results of the student teams, Minister Kupka.

After the presentation of the student creative teams and a discussion with the students, the Minister continued his talks with the deans of faculties and the directors of university and faculty institutes whose areas of expertise are related to the Ministry of Transport’s activities.

The following faculties gradually introduced their activities to Minister Kupka: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Information Technology, Institute of Forensic Engineering, and Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) BUT.

The topics presented included automotive and transport engineering, aviation, transport infrastructure, electromobility, autonomous driving, and space technologies, which the Ministry of Transport also guarantees within the programme Czech Journey to Space. The topic of space technologies resonated during the meeting. This is one of the university's strategic areas, which is also involved in the aforementioned Czech Journey to Space programme. The discussion also turned to electromobility and autonomous driving, which, according to Minister Kupka, represents an opportunity for the Czech industry to catch a second wind. The Minister also emphasized the importance of popularizing the results of research in the areas of transport, transport infrastructure, electromobility, autonomous driving, and space activities to the Czech public, especially by universities.

During the discussion, topics related to the shortage of graduates in technical fields and the need for support for technical and scientific education were raised, as well as the necessity of finding ways to make the study of technology and natural sciences, especially mathematics, physics, and chemistry, more attractive to a larger number of students and increase interest among girls in this type of study. “This is a topic for our university, and we are trying to communicate its importance for the competitiveness of our economy, as well as for building an economy based on knowledge and innovation, at the national level,” said the rector of BUT, adding, “Together with the Prime Minister, the Minister of Education, the Governor of the South Moravian Region, representatives from Czech technical and natural science universities, and representatives from the high-tech industry and industrial associations, we recently held the second roundtable at our university, where we presented initiatives and unique conclusions from two surveys conducted this year, which will serve as a basis not only for us but also for the Ministry of Education in considering educational policies or study programmes and their structure. It is not only the proportion of the population with higher education that matters, but also its structure.” 

The visit was an opportunity not only to discuss transport, transport infrastructure, the automotive industry, electromobility, or space technologies but also to present the competencies that could serve as a basis for cooperation with the Ministry of Transport. The meeting highlighted the importance of collaboration between academia and public administration in research, development, innovation, and the crucial role of public awareness about transportation projects and their results. In this context, support for the Ministry of Transport's Czech Journey to Space programme was mentioned as a significant source of inspiration for promoting interest in technical and scientific education.